Ain Sokhna, Egypt

Jordan and I took a day trip to Ain Sokhna which is really one of the top places to visit in Egypt and conveniently an hour and thirty minutes away from Cairo. We had a great time exploring the Movenpick Resort and getting lost driving back to Cairo.

A Little Taste of Cairo

This is a video of us driving around on the weekend. There have been so many times where I've said, " I wish I had my camera!" Now I take the camera everywhere we go. There is never a dull moment in this city so hopefully we will be capturing it for your viewing pleasure. On this particular trip, we drove to Maadi (the place we stayed at in April) and got a rug for our hallway and a glass candle holder. Maadi is full of these really crafty, hole-in-the-wall shops with all sorts of interesting things! Maadi is also where a lot of foreigners live, so it has a different standard. You can go out and walk around in shorts and a T-shirt and be fine. Maadi also has a decent community church and lots of cozy coffee shops and restaurants. Down sides to Maadi are there aren't a lot of sidewalks, there is a lot of trash on the ground, and it is closer to the city and the Nile which means more smog and noise. It was a good day trip for us! I enjoyed running into people I work with.

I have a voice and this is what it says:

Time for me to be brutally honest about the situation in Egypt. The reason for my honesty: I put up with it every day, I read articles in the local magazines and attend seminars, 70% of my conversations are about this, and for those that are visiting, like family, it is important to be informed and keep in mind that this will drive you crazy, but there are things that you can do about it! What am I talking about: Sexual Harassment.

Search any current news about Egypt and this will be at the top of the list. Sexual harassment is on the rise in Egypt. There are many factors that are causing this and mostly it has to do with the media that comes in from the west portraying images of women that are sexual and this is leading to a misunderstanding that foreign women, young and old, are loose in terms of modesty. Also, in a place where there are rigid roles between the sexes, in Egypt's case a male dominant role, women are the more vulnerable sex and are subjected to sexual violence and harassment.

Although, foreign women have seen more of a percentage of harassment, even Egyptian women who dress modestly or wear a head covering receive almost the same percentage of harassment. I actually saw a completely covered woman being harassed by a man while passing her on the streets of Cairo. Unbelievable!

Here are some things that I am doing to avoid situations. If you will be visiting, I suggest you take these precautions too.
1. Avoid crowds (especially large groups of men...they are everywhere)
2. Be in a group or with a man if you are a woman.
3. Dressing modestly helps, even the man should be wearing long pants instead of shorts as to not draw attention. Blending in, as hard as it is, helps a lot.
4. Do not share a taxi with anyone. If you are a woman sit as far away from the driver as you can and do not engage in conversation.
5. If you are a man, have good eye contact with an approaching group of men. If you are a women, look down, avoid eye contact, move away from them, and keep walking.
6. Learn short phrases in Arabic like no, go away, or shame. Say them loud and firm and walk away without looking.
7. Fight or flight...pick one and stick with it. If you hear sexual comments, just walk away. If they touch or grab, be ready to fight with strong words or physical violence.
8. Be aware of your surroundings at all times. If you are a women, know how to avoid people crossing behind you. Try to keep your distance.
9. Find help from store owners, guards, and other women if you are being harassed. The police are not helpful, they are usually the ones harassing, so avoid them.
10. Be prepared in how to defend yourself against a physical attack. Keys in hands and go for the eyes.

Yes, even taking all these precautions, I have still been harassed. The first time was during rush hour on the metro when Jordan and I entered onto the train and a man got in front of Jordan and groped me. I screamed "haram", pointed, made a scene, but nothing was done to report it. Another situation occurred as I was walking behind Jordan with another girl and a young man jumped to my side and kissed me on my cheek. I pushed his body away and caught up a few paces with Jordan. I have had sexual comments and gestures from boys (1o years old) which Jordan quickly defused and scared the daylights out of them. I have even been harassed twice at school by high school boys making kissing actions towards me and cat-calling. On a daily basis, I leave my apartment and get harassed by the workers whistling and screaming out inappropriate remarks. Even driving in the passenger seat of my own car, I get looks and whistles from buses full of men sitting in traffic on the streets.

The speaker from the US Embassy made a good point: The only way to avoid the constant unwanted attention is to move back to the US. You can't fix 80 million people! You can talk about the situation, share, and learn from others.

So if you are brave enough to visit us, and I hope that you do, just be prepared. Oh, and Mom and Dad, mace is illegal, so cross that off my Christmas list.

Baby Shower Egyptian Style

Jordan and I attended a baby shower this weekend of an Egyptian couple we are friends with. It was quite the experience. We walked into a room full of family members, maybe 30 people that were all taking turns holding the newborn baby. There were chairs all along the wall, so most everyone was sitting except for the new mom and dad and their mothers. A couple of the younger girls were serving drinks and passing out candle sticks. By the way, the drink was a vegetable based drink with crushed nuts and coconut and it was delish. The music that was blasting the whole time was an Arabic rhythmic music. Some of the older women started to ululate in this high-pitched voice. I've heard this before from the women who are all covered, so I didn't realize it was traditional to all of Egypt. That started the official celebration and another older woman took a metal mortar and handle, placed it on the ground and started banging it to the rhythm of the music(this was louder than a cow bell but same metalic sound). Then they lit the candles, place the baby on the ground, sprinkled what looked to be lentils or something on the baby's head, and then the mother stepped over the baby 6 times as the crowd walked around holding the candles. Then, an older woman took the baby that was in a basket and tossed and shook it to apparently bring the bad spirits to the surface and rid of it. So the baby was literally being tossed around which was scary to watch, but fascinating because the baby slept through all of this. Then after the tossing, the baby was put in the middle of the room while people walked by and touch it. A huge amount of food was served and by that time, Jordan and I were looking at an hour ride back to our apartment so we left. As we were leaving we both looked at each other in amazement that we had just witnessed that. Jordan was having fun watching my reaction to everything. It was so out of my element, but very cool to be a part of.

Are You a Bulldozer or a Landscaper?

I love when God wants to get a point across in my life and speaks so clearly I feel as if He is in the room. Usually this happens when I am exhausted at the end of the day. I get comfortable in bed, find just the right spot on the pillow, close my eyes, start to drift off…then… BOOM, God speaks! This has happened three separate times, each with the same exact jolt to my senses just before falling asleep, and each with a different message. I am very grateful for this clarity, but very jolted every time…must be a "PAY ATTENTION-alarm clock" from God. This particular time, God asked me if I was living my life as a bulldozer, ripping at the things and people around me leaving destruction in my path, or if I was living my life as a landscaper, leaving the places I come from better than they were before.

Honestly, I have been living more like a bulldozer lately than a landscaper. Trust me, God reminded me of every bulldozing situation like a trailer for a movie…the highlights of my destruction. It was horrible and painful to watch. I also saw that for me, living like a landscaper would take incredible strength, strength that I do not possess. A landscaper would have something to leave behind, something that is beautiful, pristine, and something that will last.

So, how do I become a landscaper? I have no strength for the job. I have little talent or skill for such a job. Even if I relied on my own capabilities and tried to landscape, it would be so artificial that underneath, the land would rot away and my attempt would be futile. My initial remorse quickly turned to denial, defensiveness, and finally I was convincing myself to give up, shouting FAILURE, you will always be a bulldozer. You are not fit for the job, so just go on, forget landscaping and do what you do best which is living for yourself.

When you have a moment like this with God, it's not a matter of being suitable, but being called. God provides strength. He provides opportunities and puts those skills to the test. God will mold us and he will shape us to be more like Christ. He will have harvest from the land that he has sown. Christ will be glorified and that is God’s promise.

My challenge is to let God be in control, use me as a landscaper and for this to glorify Jesus, the perfect landscaper. By his grace, by him alone will I be successful in this calling. Please pray for this. I need it! Also, pray that God reveals areas in your life where there is a need for some landscaping.

BE A LANDSCAPER!

-Kristina

Funny how God brings up memories

About 6 years ago, I took a trip to Galveston to serve a local church for a week. The night I arrived, I had the worst case of pink eye I have ever had. I literally was blind out of one eye! I showed up around midnight, stumbled my way to my room, passed by a mirror, stood there trying to figure out what happened to my face, and then started to panic a little...ok, alot. A woman that was with the church reassured me that I was going to be fine, and started to call her friend who was a doctor (in the middle of the night!). The doctor called in a prescription to a 24 hour pharmacy and within 2 hours of arriving in Galveston, I had medicine on my eye. Last night, I was reading about good works(fruits of the spirit) and faith(belief in the saving grace of Jesus) and this past experience came to my mind. It became clear that the people helping me were serving God through serving others and that with my complete inability to see, I had to have faith in God that He was going to provide. Blind faith...couldn't resist:)

I guess I'm writing this to remind myself to serve others for God's glory and to hold tight to faith. It is only by His grace that we can become fruitful and love others and it is only by His grace that we can understand faith. It's funny how God brings up memories that remind me of His love.

Kristina: What language is that? Jordan: It's a fake language, sometimes referred to as Finnish.

Finland

• The first thing you will notice are the people and how kind and helpful they are. Literally EVERYONE we met was friendly to talk to, always had a smile, and took time to really get to know you.
• The food. The Finnish really know how to eat fresh, healthy meals. The specialty: berries, all kinds and you can even buy them at the train station. If you eat in any of the outdoor markets, which I highly recommend, you will see lots of grilled fish and veggies. DO NOT eat any form of Tex-Mex food. My bean and cheese burrito consisted of green beans, stewed tomatoes and goat cheese.
• The Saunas are popular in all of Scandinavia. Beware: Nudity is no big deal to these people, so if you are the least bit modest, bring a swimsuit...or an eye patch!
  

Estonia

• The boat we took to Estonia was more like a mini-cruise ship with stores and restaurants and even a casino on board. (Tallink was the name of the ship) It took about 3 hours to cross over the gulf of Finland (Baltic Sea). Not bad for a trip to a completely different country. I entertained Jordan with my Scandinavian pirate accent!
• The Old Town was so charming! If you have been to small towns in France or Germany, then you have an idea of the cuteness!
• We were warned that shop owners in Estonia have a tendency to be rude to customers, so I made it a point to walk in, make eye contact, ask them how they were doing and then look around their shop. The reaction I got was in this order: shock, smile, giggle, helpfulness. :)
• The food was also amazing! I recommend Olde Hansa restaurant. They serve dishes from the 1400's authentic to Tallinn, so what you see on the menu is what they ate back then! There is no electricity, so they use candles everywhere, even in the bathrooms (hard to see, but I made it without dropping anything in the toilet). The best part is the original paintings on the walls of vines, painted 700 years ago and enjoyed by the wine merchant who lived in the house.

We have really enjoyed our time of getting to travel together. It has been such a blessing! :)

Video for Jeanine

Jordan and I are visiting Lebanon and we are hanging out with some friends while we are here. They have two adorable girls and one CUTE baby boy! The girls can't stop asking me about my family and why they are so far away. They love hearing about my sister!! They really want her to visit Lebanon, so we made a video! This isn't on the video, but the girls told me that if I miss my sister that I should just have some children so I'm not alone. I asked them what should I do if I had a boy and they told me I would need to try again for a girl:)!!!! SO CUTE!

Welcome to Petra

Jordan and I got to visit Petra! The villages in Petra date back to 2200 years ago. It was discovered again in 1812. What a discovery! It is such a cool place for anyone who loves nature, or rocks like my Dad the geologist! There are highlights such as the Treasurey from the Indiana Jones movie, Raiders of the Lost Ark and lots of shops, camels, and horse rides. Jordan and I also got to climb the top of the mountain range which was no easy task, but worth the view and the journey up. We spent a while at the top of the mountain just listening to the silence. It was amazing! View video to check it out yourself! :)

This week's highlights

1. Painted the entire apartment minus the guest room. (We ran out of money)

2. Made homemade banana bread TWICE (First one burned :(....)

3. Stayed in my pj's all day (Twice. Had a headache. Jordan did it. *fill in excuses here_________)

4. I figured out that string and tape can fix any leak. (Then it broke, but we fixed it with string and tape again. I'm not holding my breath.)

5. Found some pretty cool stores in the mall! (The mall is the largest mall in Africa and has 700 stores so it wasn't hard to find something that did it for me)

6. Got on babycenter.com and watched all the videos! (This scared Jordan, but he gave in and we ended up watching the videos as our date night with popcorn and cuddle time. Babies rock!)

7. This is Jordan's highlight, but it is pretty awesome: We got to watch the OSU game live on the computer that is hooked up directly to his brother's tv in Oklahoma while in Egypt! Crazy. (I also got my HGTV fix)

8. I got a sweet note from my hubby in our journal. Such a nice suprise! (He earned brownies)

9. Talked to my mom and dad this week. (We have a local number through Vonage. Makes Egypt seem much closer to home! I tend to forget the 7 hours difference and accidently call too early...oops!)

10. A little Egyptian girl approached me and in the sweetest voice asked if she could tell me about the Bible! In Egypt. (That pretty much left me speechless)

Hope you all have a blessed week!

Sports Club in Egypt

Location: Sports club in Egypt

Me: Wow this club looks amazing.

Jordan: Yeah, let's go check it out.

Location- Inside the club

Jordan: Excuse me miss, we were interested in the sports club. Where is the gym?

Miss: I don't know.

Jordan: Well do you know where I can find a brochure? (again in arabic)

Miss: No

Jordan: OK, thanks.

Kristina: That's weird...Isn't the gym kind of a big deal in a sports club?

Jordan: Excuse me sir, do you know where the gym is? (again in arabic)

Sir: It is closed for men, only open for women. If you walk this way you will find it. (in arabic)

Jordan: OK, Thanks.

Sir: Hey, where are you going?

Jordan: To the gym.

Sir: Only she can walk to the gym.

Jordan: Where do I go?

Sir: You stay here on this side of the sidewalk

Kristina: OK, I guess I will walk to the entrance by myself.

Location-gym

Kristina: Excuse me miss, the door to the gym is locked. Do I need a key? (Again in horrible attempt at arabic)

Miss: I don't know (in arabic)

Kristina: OK, thanks

Location-on the other side of the sidewalk

Kristina: The gym is locked. Let's go see if we can find someone who can tell us about the club and hours.

Jordan: Sir, can you tells us about the club and hours?

Sir: Go to gate 1

Location-gate 1

Jordan: Sir, can you tells us about the club and hours?

Sir: Go to gate 5

Jordan and Kristina: We give up!

Birthday @ 26

Yay 26! I'm not typical when it comes to getting older. I say "bring it on!" What would possibly make me say this? Well, with each year tacked on to my impressive 26 years, there seems to be more opportunities, experiences, more sense of what really matters in life (a perspective you might say), more days to be spent with my husband, my family, and my friends, and most importantly, a better understanding of who Christ is.

In regards to my family, each year adds a depth to our relationship...one with more of a bond and respect. Life as an adult is hard at times and I can look at my parents and appreciate the fact that they can stand up to anything that comes their way. Time with them isn't wasted and feels more bittersweet the more I realize how uncommon it is for my parents to still be happily married in these times and the more I realize I've come full circle in applying things that I have learned from their marriage to my own.

Time with my sister is well spent! I have always been amazed by her. I can learn a lot about loving people from J. Her heart is so big that if you stand too close, she will suck you in like a sponge. She still thinks of me as 16. It's kind of funny when she is shocked every year on my birthday. This birthday, my card from her said "Happy 4th Birthday!"

My in-laws are the perfect example of living gracefully. Time has blessed them with knowledge of Christ, endless love, and an unexplainable gift to comfort. Maybe to Jordan, time with his parents is different, but for me, time with them is like comfort food (mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, etc.) Ok, I'm sure Jordan's perspective is very different. Their comfort stems from contentment and that is a product of the grace they have been given.

With friends, time seems to slip too quickly away in all our encounters together. Maybe it is because time flies when you are having fun, but I think it's because we see ourselves in each other and it makes us focus so deeply on the matters on our hearts that we pay no attention to how much time we spend sharing our lives together. That time is never cataloged, only later dearly missed.

Jordan, time spent with you is a gift from God! I love that I know things, random things, about you that no one else will ever know and time with you gives me more insight to who you are. Sharing my life with you will never mean watching the clock tick by. We learn so much about each other everyday. It's precious time with you added with past memories of us that make each day seem like not enough. I get to grow old with you. How cool is that!!

I am truly blessed. These hours, days, and years are time that God has given me! Thanks and glory be given to him in all the time that he has willed.

Happy Birthday to me!

Summer

It is officially summer! I have been blessed to travel with Jordan as early as April, so for me it has felt like summer for some time now. Currently, Jordan is finishing some work in Beirut and then he is heading back to Cairo before joining me in the states.

We did find an apartment in Cairo. We had to completely furnish the place including the lights and all the appliances. I still don't have kitchen cabinets yet or any decoration that makes it look like a home that is lived in, but it will soon! The place has two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a big open living room, and 4 balconies!! The white walls and floor tile make it feel a little like a hospital, but when we get back in July, Jordan and I will attempt to put a splash of color on the walls!

We look forward to a summer full of visiting friends and family back and forth between Tulsa and Dallas. This will be my first 4th of July in Tulsa with Jordan's HUGE family and I can't wait. It is my favorite holiday and this one will be special (first one married). Speaking of marriage, it will soon be our one year anniversary on July 26~I would do it all again in a heartbeat! I also have lots of friends getting married this summer and feel overwhelmingly blessed to attend. Anna and Mark Gronotte and Christina and Travis Hyde just to name a few!

Cheers to summer!
~Kristina

Far away

Jordan and I are enjoying our time in Egypt. It is a beautiful city full of history and interesting people. I love that it is so different from anywhere I have been. Sometimes it reminds me of a mix of Peru and China, but much more international and 22 million people more than the cities I have been to in other countries. There are more people that speak English here (except for the Taxi drivers)

The first thing an American woman will notice when traveling in Cairo is that the dress code for women is fairly strict and international women really do need to be careful how they dress. The women wear skirts down to their ankles or pants and they wear long sleeve shirts even in the hottest times of the year. I felt akward just wearing a fitted t-shirt that would be considered modest in the states. I immediately went shopping for scarves to use to cover my arms and my neck. The women cover their heads, but it is understood that I wouldn't because foreigners in Egypt just don't cover their heads. It would actually be offensive if I did because then I would be expected to follow their customs of praying during the call to prayer.

Let me just say, the call to prayer is beautiful to hear, but at 4:30am it is no fun to wake up to arabic singing through the loudest speakers EVER!

I am taking advantage of being a tourist. I have plans to take a cruise on the nile, visit the pyramids and muesums, and take pictures in the tower in Garden City. There is a lot to do here and a suprisingly vast amount of modern restaurants and cafes. Jordan and I enjoy Maadi because of it's international feel and comforts. It has some amazing restaurants, shops, spas, and neighborhoods. We drove by the ambassador of Mexico's villa in Maadi. It is the only suburb in Cairo that has trees.

I will update and post pics soon. Ma-salaama!

Job news

I got a job at the American International School in Egypt. Jordan met with the principal and they went over the contract. He should be emailing me with more details, but it basically is a job with all the perks. The school will pay for a furnished/unfurnished apartment. Jordan said the school has an auditorium/stage, a classroom for me (no more teaching on the stage), orff instruments, textbooks and a beautiful campus. These are things that Florida doesn't even have! There will be a bus that will take me to work which is nice not to have to take a taxi! I am so excited. I will give more details as they come. I will also take pictures over spring break. Jordan and I are planning to travel to Cairo, Alexandria, and Beirut.

Couple Thousand Miles Away

Jordan is in Lebanon, soon to be back in Cairo and then off to Malta. He is gone for 18 days....18 days of torture. The funny thing is we dated long distance, got engaged long distance, and when we got married in the summer, it was the longest we had seen each other face to face. I have gotten so used to having him around. It's funny the transition we have to go through when he comes home. I get used to taking out the trash, the dishes, paying bills, gasing up the cars, grocery shopping, carrying the groceries up stairs. Then Jordan comes home and I jump everytime he turns a corner. It is pretty hilarious. I have screamed bloody murder just because I saw a relfection in a mirror of him walking by. Despite all the transistion and the lonliness of having him not here, it is all God's plan. I couldn't be more proud of what he is doing. I told Jordan before we got married that I don't want to be the one to stand in the way of what God had planned for him. I love that God is giving us an opportunity to serve like this.